Man Claiming Al-Qaeda Ties, Car Bomb, Steals Euros

An armed man claiming he an Al-Qaeda connection and a car bomb stole more than 15,000 euros from a Magnificent Mile American Express store Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Police said the man walked into the American Express store, at 605 N. Michigan Ave., shortly after 4 p.m.  He showed a weapon and made off with more than 15,000 euros -- about $19,000 dollars.

The man, described described as 6 feet tall, 200 pounds and possibly of Middle Eastern descent, fled east on foot, police said.

A police source said the man claimed he was linked to Al-Qaeda and pointed to a car across the street and implied he had a car bomb. It was not immediately known if he actually had ties to the terrorist group or if he had a bomb.  Nobody was injured during the robbery.

Police were on the scene investigating the man’s claims and taking inventory of missing items late Wednesday, police said.

According to the Chicago Tribune, employees told police that the man had spent several hours in the office a day earlier. He had tried to obtain euros but was unable to because the office did not have a sufficient amount. The man told the employees that they had better have plenty of euros on hand when he returned.

No one is in custody.